Power system for firearms



April 25, 1961 D. c, FLETCHER 2,981,158

POWER SYSTEM FOR FIREARMS Filed Deo. 7, 1956 Unitd States Pateminvention ydescribed herein may he manufactured and'u'sedby or rfor theGovernment for governmental purposes without the payment of anyroyaltythereon. v

ice

v smaller in diameter than bore 22 so that a compressible coil spring 28may be received over such portion and within such bore. Spring 28'isadapted to store suicient energy to operate operating rod 16 and theattached operating mechanism. An annular collar 30 is mounted on'Vportion 24 for rearward contact with shoulder 26 to provide a seat forthe rear end of spring 28. Slidingly mounted on portion 24 forwardly ofspring 28 is a sleeve 32 having a bore 34 with a diameter similar tothat of such portion so that the sliding contact therebetween issubstantially gas tight and the outside of such sleeve has'This'invention relates to firearms and more particularly y to powersystems for actuating the operating mechanisms thereof. s Y -V It is anobject of this invention to provide a power p system which is especially`well-adapted for those rearms which require a long power stroke for theactuation of the operating mechanisms.

It is another object of this invention to provide a tirearm power systemwhereby force is evenly applied to the operating mechanism of thefirearm during the entire power stroke. g

' It is still another object of this invention to provide a firearmpower system whereby the clirearm operating mechanism is energized bygas pressure from `an exploded cartridge indirectly so as to eliminatethe impact of such gas pressure against the operating` mechanism. v

' VvIt another and still furtherr object of this invention to providefornfirearms a power system bywhich the operating mechanism is poweredby a spring which is energized by gases bled from the firearm barrel.

The specific nature of the invention aswell as other objects andadvantages thereof lwill clearly appear from a description of apreferred embodiment as shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

tracted to energize the. spring and latched to the cylinder l, slot54whichfis introduced into such bracket laterally' from'thelright sidethereof. Such slot 54 is terminated by forftransferring thefenergy inthe spring to the operating gas` vcylinder; e

r- Fig. 4 is a .view Itaken along line 4-4 Fig.A t Fig.v 5 is a viewtaken along lineS-,S of Fig., ,2`;-jandf,

f ;Fig. ,6 isa perspective view of the latch member. i v jj-(Showmin thefigures ;isga flfearm barrel 12, a gas', cylinderl 1344 ,and anoperatingrod' 16. Gas, cylindery 14 is rprovided withA integralvbrackets18 and 20at `thefrojjit substantially gas-tight sliding contact withbore 22. VAnnular grooves 36 and 38 are provided in theoutside andltheinside surfaces of sleeve 30, respectively, .tov

assist in preventing the escape of gases by such sleeve.

The rear end of sleeve 32 is in contact with the front end of spring 28so that such spring is energized whenv suchl sleeve moves rearwardlyalong portion 24.` vThe front end of sleeve 32 isfreduced in diameter,vas noted at 40, -to form an annular shoulder 42.

A plug 44 is threadably mounted inthe front end of bore 22 and provided'through such plug is a relatively small passageway 46 by which theinside of cylinder 14 is vented to the atmosphere. .The rear end of plug44 is contactable by the front end of operating rod 16 to establish theforward position thereof. Fixedly mounted V-tothe front end of operatingrod 16 isa cylindrical head- -member 48 having a diameter similar tothat of boref 22 so` that the sliding contact therebetween issubstantially gas tight. Thekfront end of sleeve 3-2 contacts therearend of head member'48 and such rear end is arranged to vslopeforwardly and outwardly from the areaof contact with reduced diameterportion 40 of the sleeve tofform a cam portion 50. s with head member48, there is formed with reduced diameter portion 40' an annular'chamber 52 which,fwhen`y operatingrod 16 is in contactwith plu`g44,receives gases fromy port 21 to initiatefthe rearward movement'of suchsleeve against spring 28.#` L.

rProvided in rear'br'acket' 2li is a vertically-disposed asemicylindrical portion 56 whchihas a diameter ,subl-V stantiallyVsimilar to theoutside diameterl of cylinder 14 and is alignedaxiallytherewith.'` `Mounted in slot 54 for lateral movement thereinis a latchmember 58 which' consists of acylindrical portion 6.0v havingY adiameterv similar'to that of 'semicylindrical portion 56 and a radiallyextendinglugljportio'ny 62 which 'is slidingly received byIanlppeninggf64 through rear bracket 20 central of portionj56ly 'Lugpor-tion 62 extends outwardly from open ing'64.. and is-acted onbyarleaf spring`66 to-biascylin-l, j 1 n 'dricalfportionll'out of' axialalignment withfcylinde'ij 14. 1 Provided axially through cylindricalportion y 60-is` and `'rear .ends thereof, respectively, kby which thegascylinder is secured to barrel. 12 anda gas port 21 through the,cylinder and the .barrel provides passage for gases show Y:for theactuation thereof,l and thevfrontk end/is 60 Afromthe bore of the barreltojfa longitudinal bore 22H u throughthe cylinder. 4vThe rear end ofoperating'rod 16 s vcoopera'tes with the flrearmioperating mechanismsy(not t '1 f vfl'hefront portion ofoper lat1ng rod'16 1s reduced 1n Y i{diameter-, as noted at 24, and such reduced diameter por-, -A vtion isvterminated by ,an annular v,shoulder 26 whichis arrangedvtobe'disposedoutside o f cylinder14whenthe'l l 'peratingrod is in: the. forwardposition. ,T Prortion 24is a"cylindrical hole'68 which is alignablewithibore 22 when lsuchc`ylindrical portion isxin engagement' with'semicylindrical portion 56-and such hole hasv a'diameter similar .to boreg22so thatv spring 2.8 and-sleeven32 are v receivable thereby. l. v fp lCylindrical.portion, 60 is suicientlyflong so-that atleast one coil,of,spr ing 28 is in engagement therewith asl such springmovesrthroughhole 68 and therebyl such cylindri-.Y

cal portior'fis restrained in alignmentwith bore22. VPro-` Yltfo. swhere-'shoulder isA rearward ,of llatch irremb, erj 58;.;- Therez'ri-w'ardk travelv` of sleeve 32 kis. limitedV bythe solid` lheight.Y of spring 28 andthereduction-@pressure 1in gas'v Grnder 14,.'due t0 vent. Per# 6.1 being unser edera; duceS the'` forces v againstlsuch springbeforesreachi Patented Apr. 25, 1961.

With sleeve32 in contact ng solid:v

"geantes latch member-58 so` that such latch member is biasable byspring 66 out of alignment with bore 22 into engagement with reducedkdiameter portion 40 and so into position to beengaged by shoulder 42duringsubsequent forward movement of such sleeve. i

--When operating rod 16 is in therearward position thereoffhead member48 is received by hole`68. Provided on the front end of cylindricalportion 60 is an `annular beveled portion 70 which extends outwardly andforwardly from hole 68 and is cammingly cooperable with cam portion 50on head member 48 to move latch member 58 into -alignmentwith bore 22for the release of position.

ofthe` firearm (notshown)` with the front end seated against collar 30.Spring 72 is thereby compressed during rearward movement of operatingrod 16 so that such operating-rod is returnablethereby to forwardposition whensleeve 32 is releasedfrom latch member 58.

Operation When acartridge is tired in barrel 12, the gases developedfrom: the... explosion pass through gas port 21 as the bullet passesthereby. The. gases pass from gas `port 21into ,chamber 52 to press withequal force on therear endlof head member 48` vand the front `endofsleeve 32. Thereby, jheademember 48 is held in engagement withplug441and jsleeve 32 is moved rearwardly against spring 28 which iscompressed and energized thereby as the rear end thereof is `heldagainst movement by the engagement with the immovably held operating rod16 through collar 30 and shoulder26.

When..sleeve 32 has been moved lby the rearward position thereof, ventport 61 is uncovered, permitting the gases in gas cylinder 14 to escape,and shoulder V42 is moved'past latchv memberwhich is therebyunblocked,so as to bebiased by spring 66 againstre'duced diameter .portion 40.With the venting of the gas pressure in gas cylinder 14, the forceholding operating rod 16 forwardlyqis-` released and the bias of theenergy impressed infspring 28 moves -sleeve 32 `forwardly into contactwith'latch member` 58 to immovably anchor the front Y-end ofthe springto gas cylinder 14. "Thereby,

thereof and the following claims are intended to include 4suchvariations.`

1. claim:

1. A power system for a firearm having a barrel with a bore, said powersystem including a cylinder, an operating rod slidingly mounted in saidcylinder and being biased from a retracted to a normal position, aspring and a sleeve carried by said operating rod withsaid sleeve beingslidably actuatable against said spring for the energizing saidoperating rod isin theretracted position for the re` turn thereof to thenormal position.

` 2. A lpov'versystem 'for a iirearm having a barrel with" a borefsaidpower system including a cylinder, an oper-y ating rodslidinglyireceived by said cylinder and being biased'from a retracted toa normal position, a spring attached at one end to said operating frodasleeve slidingly mounted on said operating `rod for substantially'gas-tight contact with said cylinder and said operating rod andiforactuation against said :spring for the energizf ingthereof; ahead membermounted to said operating rod for engagement by said sleeve, a reduceddiameter portion on Asaidsleeve to form with said head portion anannular chamber, 4a gas portfor passing gases fromy the bore of thebarrel to said chamber to simultaneou'slyhold said opreating rd in thenormal position and move said sleeve against sa-id `spring yfor theenergizing thereof, latch meansfor releasably engaging said sleeve tosaid cylinder when said spring is energized, vent means for" releasingthe gas pressure in said cylinder `when saidlsleeve is latched to `saidcylinder to permit movementof said operating rod` tothe retractedposition by the energy in said spring, and cooperating `cai-n means onsaid head `the energy` inspring 28 is transferred to operating rod16 tWhen operating.. rod `1`6 approaches rearward position,

earn `portion on head member' `48cammi1`1gly-engages bevel portion70 onlatch member 58:to'alignholelSswithg sleeve 321forthe-`release` thereofwhereby operatingvrod member and said latch means for actuating saidlatch means to releasey saidslee've from said cylinder Where: by vsaidoperating rod is `permitted 1to return tonormal position`.` i e Y,

t `3. A` power system for a firearm having a barrel with a bore,saidpower system including a cylinder, operating rodJ slidiriglyreceived by said' cylinderA for reciprocation between a retracted and anormal position, means Vfor biasing said operating rod Ito the forwardposition,

e a compressiblecoil sp1-ing mnted on `saidV operating 16=sino1ongermovablybiased by spring28 and vspring lzgispermitted tocreturn the`operatingrod-andf'sleeve 32, arried `\the1feby, `to vtheir forward,positions..i

LIn the" event gases leak by head member 48 such gases ai'ewvented` tothe `atmosphere through passageway 46 so .as `nottojpressiaforwardlyagainst such headmember.

" rod, means for'anchoringtherrear end of saidfspring to said operatingrod, a sleeve slidingly mountedonfsaid operatingfrod" for actuationVagainst r said spring for', the

,energizing thereof,` `s aid sleeve having Vsubstantially gas- `tightslidi'ngi Contact with said `operaltiiig rodand said v cylinder, areduced,fdinaieter`f portion on the front endi of From the foregoing itis clearly apparentthatthei-e is l. herein provided for iirearms a novelpower system vyheref` by the powerstroke maybe ofgreter leng'tl'ithanthat ne if the;

provided byconventional power systems'lb spring-'powering meansandriwheieby'lnev e applied fto i the t firearm` operating "mechanismduring the y'coi actuated systems" whichjareienergzed .Itisfalsofapparent that the'upow' tii lnvetion'ispositiveinoperationndsimpl an rug' ru ion saidsle'eve',2 a'headfirie'mbr' mounted `to*` thefrontend of. `said operatingfrod for` substantially gas-tight slidingcon? tact with lsaidj cylinder and beingengageable by said sleevethrough-the biais aidfspring, a plug mounted" the frontendsaid;cylinciler1 for engagement-by 'said head r'nemuberwhen`saidoperating Arod ris'. in normal p oower stroke as ctmtrastedAtoconventionalugas jf x VV'particularenilfaodirneHt'ofthe'inveniidn ,v.bejendescribed inffdetail4 herein; it Vis evident thatjrnany vvariations rriayube devised within the spirviyand scope` M venting thegas pressure therefrom to release said operating rod for movement to theretracted position by the energy in said spring when said sleeve islatched to said cylinder, and cooperating cam means on said head memberand said latch means for disengaging said sleeve from said cylinder whensaid operating rod is in the retracted position.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said latch means includes an annularshoulder provided on said sleeve, a cylindrical latch member providedwith an axial hole therethrough for slidably receiving said operatingrod and said sleeve, slot means in said gas cylinder y for mounting saidlatch member for transverse movement relative to said sleevetoreleasablyengage said annular shoulder when said spring is energized,and spring means for biasing said latch member into position to-beengaged by said annular shoulder and wherein said cam means engageablycooperates with said latch member to disengage said latch member fromsaid annular shoulder when said operating rod is in the retractedposition.

5. A power system for a rearm having a barrel with a bore, said powersystem including a gas cylinder having communication with the bore, anoperating rod mounted for slidable reciprocation in Vsaid gas cylinder,a compressible coil spring carried by Asaid operating rod and anchoredat one end thereto, means actuatable by gases bled from the bore to saidgas cylinder for compressibly energizing said spring, a head memberdisposed on said operating rod for cooperation with the gases bled tosaid cylinder to hold said operating rod against displacement during thecompression of said spring, and means for connecting the opposite endofsaid spring to the gas cylinder l'after said spring is compressed andthe gas pressure is relieved in said gas cylinder for transferring theenergy of said compressed spring to said operating rod for actuationthereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent

